First Post... And First Order! Help!

Baking By sweetspotter Updated 10 Apr 2009 , 6:42pm by CookiezNCupcakez

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sweetspotter Posted 7 Apr 2009 , 9:53pm
post #1 of 8

Hi ladies! Very quick background... I love to bake and have been doing that quite well (haha) for about a dozen years or so, but I never got the hang of decorating, so I signed up for the Wilton classes and I've been in love with decorating ever since.

My sister-in-law just got me an order - my first paying gig - to make confirmation cross cookies. I have my mom's shortbread cookie recipe, which I always use for Christmas and fun things like Superbowl, Halloweeen. But for kids, maybe I should use sugar instead? And they'd like the color combo to be red and white, so I was just going to layer white MMF over red, and do a border on the white and use luster dust over the white. Should I do Toba's glace or RI instead?

Also, she only wants to pay $1 per cookie, and wants 40 cookies. I am really doubting this is going to make me a profit. I'm thinking that as long as it covers my materials and ingredients, I should do it to get my name out.

Any advice? I make lots of cookies, but since I usually don't decorate them, I don't worry. Now I'm worried!! (can you tell? lol)

7 replies
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cylstrial Posted 7 Apr 2009 , 11:54pm
post #2 of 8

Welcome to Cake Central!

I would definitely sit down and figure out how much supplies are going to cost before you agree to $1/cookie. You want to make sure that you're not going to be in the negative. Most people on here do $1.00/square of a cookie.

Honestly, your cookies sound beautiful and DETAILED! I haven't used Toba's glace. But I love Antonia74's RI. It's amazing. But MMF would be great as well. So it's really up to you. I would think that MMF is going to cost you more, so you might want to go with the RI instead.

Are you going to be bagging these cookies? And tying them with ribbon?

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sweetspotter Posted 8 Apr 2009 , 2:01am
post #3 of 8

Thank you for the welcome! I've decided to do a sugar cookie - someone mentioned it will probably be more durable.

Can you tell me what you mean by $1/square of a cookie? I know the bakery that most people order their decorated cookies from charge $2.50 and up per cookie. I was thinking for a first "job" I wouldn't mind if I just break even.

I actually have red AND white fondant in my pantry, which I need for a cake I'm going to do. That's why I immediately thought of it.

I will be bagging them in clear cello and tying them with ribbon.

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bonniebakes Posted 8 Apr 2009 , 1:05pm
post #4 of 8

sweetspotter - welcome to CC (and to the world of cookies!)

I think that cylstrial meant $1 per inch - that's the base of what a lot of people charge for their cookies, and then perhaps some extra depending on if they are being bagged/packaged or if there is a lot of detail.

There are a lot of threads int eh cookie forum about recipes and icing, as well as tips and ideas for decorating. The cookie gallery is a wonderful source of inspiration!

Good luck - have fun - and don't forget to post pics!


Bonnie

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Kiddiekakes Posted 8 Apr 2009 , 1:15pm
post #5 of 8

Welcome to CC!!!

I charge $5.00 a cookies as like someone mentioned...$1.00 per inch so my cookies are usually around 4 inches in diameter and then I charge $1.00 for the cellophane bag and curly ribbon.Fondant will almost surely be an extra $2.00 per cookie.RI is more economical but more time consuming.Antonia74 recipe is awesome!!! I wouldn't agree to $1.00 a cookie yet but maybe $2.00....Decorated cookies are VERY time consuming and most non cake/cookie baking people do not realize that most of the cost is time spent decorating and not always the ingredients.

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GeminiRJ Posted 8 Apr 2009 , 5:25pm
post #6 of 8

I think you'd be doing yourself a disservice to charge only $1 for the cookies you've described, and that's before adding on more for the packaging. For $1, I might do a single color icing, no details, and certainly no packaging! As Kiddiecakes mentioned, nicely decorated cookies are extremely time consuming. They may balk at the higher prices, but you can't be giving your work away for free. Going cheap isn't how you want to get your name out there.

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sweetspotter Posted 9 Apr 2009 , 6:45pm
post #7 of 8

Thank you to everyone for all of your advice! Well, I am going to do the cookies... I know, I know. The thing is this - last year, the school was able to get a reputable bakery to sell them decorated cookies for the class for $1. So if I say no, they'll probably go back to the same place. Also, it is my niece's class that needs the cookies, so in all probability I would only charge slightly higher if I didn't know about the other bakery.

I am going to use all of your advice in the future, definitely!! I found the bags for $.99 and my s-i-l is supplying the ribbons. I think, considering I already have all the supplies I need, it's going to be a break-even type thing. It's also going to be a one-time only thing!!

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CookiezNCupcakez Posted 10 Apr 2009 , 6:42pm
post #8 of 8

one time thing that for sure thumbs_up.gif Next time someone wants a decorated cookie for a $1 tell them to go to the dollar store icon_rolleyes.gif

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